The lights go from bright to dark as the reverberations of the drums can be felt by each member of the crowd. The last pep rally is special to all Wildkats, but the seniors have more to celebrate than the first blacklight pep rally. The pep rally and game marks the last time the seniors will play, perform and entertain under the lights of Berton A. Yates Stadium. 

Today, two major events mark milestones for many Wildkats. The last pep rally and senior night for members of the football team, cheerleaders, athletic trainers, band, Sweethearts and some members of the AFJROTC. 

The black light pep rally is something the cheerleaders and Sweethearts have wanted to do for a long time. 

“Our Pep rallies are always so much fun, but this one should take the cake,” junior Molly McCollum said.  “It is our first ever blacklight pep rally we’ve ever done here. It’s also dedicated to the seniors, and we love celebrating our seniors.”

The cheerleaders have been putting a lot of time and effort into the preparation of this unique pep rally. 

“We have something really fun planned for it,” junior Gia Casso said. “It should be really interactive and many people should be there to enjoy it.”

As the pep rally ends students need to remember the end of the school song marks the end of the pep rally. Students are meant to stay in the stands with linked pinkies during the school song. When students all flood the gym floor at the start of the song, the gym cannot be emptied in a safe and orderly manner. 

“We need to exit our gyms in an orderly fashion for the safety of everyone in the gymnasium,” Principal Eric King said. “I promise to get everyone out of the gym on time to get to your desired destination, but it has to be safe. I want our pep rallies to be exciting and fun for everyone in our gym, but ultimately, if we can’t have a safe pep rally, we will take them away to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Plus the school song is an important part of the history of the school. Linking pinkies and staying until the end of the song is a tradition and a sign of respect for all Wildkats present, past and future. 

“We are ‘raising the bar’ in all we do as a campus this year,” King said, “What makes a campus special is tradition and honoring traditions. Nothing says more about the tradition of a school than its school song. It honors the Wildkats (in some cases grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and brothers and sisters) who have come before us and even the ones (your children, your nieces, nephews, and your grandchildren) that are coming behind us. For that song, we get to honor and celebrate everything we love about our school and the people who have and are currently making our school safe. We need to make traditions at Willis High School mean something again. We can not move forward until we know where we came from.”

At the game, it will be a special night for the seniors and all their loved ones. As the season comes to a close, seniors reflect on all the people who have helped get them to this place. 

“Growing up becoming a better football player, learning new things, and meeting new friends makes this night special,” senior A’Mauree Holmes said. “The people that have helped me have been my mom, my dad and coach Miller. They really pushed me to be the person I am today.”

Four years of being under the Friday night lights has allowed a lot of time for making memories. 

“It feels extremely unreal for me,” senior drum major Lilly Galarneau said. “I have been marching at Yates under the lights for four years now, and knowing that this will be my last performance is bittersweet. In some ways I still feel like I’m a freshman, but now I know it’s my turn to get recognized and eventually leave the band to grow without me in it.”

At the end of the game, all seniors at the game will meet at the far end of the field and march the turf of Yates together. This senior walk signifies the journey of the seniors so far. It is an emotional night for many seniors. 

“Band is extremely difficult and people who think it’s easy are mistaken,” Galarneau said.  “Countless hours learning music/movements in the heat, having practices three days a week with a football game on Friday, and all the while still having to manage academics just so we get eight minutes of glory. That’s funnily enough while I’ll miss the band. Band teaches you delayed gratification and how to become a leader. I will dearly miss the practices and all the friends I made along the way. The band is my family and I will never forget them.”